Religion as Political Tribalism
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David E. Campbell
David E. Campbell is the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame. He has written widely on the subject of religion and politics, including Secular Surge (co-authored with Geoffrey C. Layman and John C. Green), American Grace (co-authored with Robert D. Putnam), and Seeking the Promised Land (co-authored with J. Quin Monson and John C. Green).
Abstract
Is religion a form of political tribalism? Conventional wisdom suggests it is. Discussion of religion and American politics generally focuses on the “God Gap”—the tendency for religious Americans to vote Republican, while the non-religious vote Democratic. However, there is also reason to argue that religion cannot be reduced to political tribalism. The God Gap is found mostly among white voters; among people of color, religiosity is a far weaker predictor of the vote. Even among white voters, the size of the God Gap varies across different religious traditions. Furthermore, there is more nuance to the non-religious population than suggested by the standard account of the God Gap. When the analysis includes the full scope of the American religious landscape, religion is not as “tribal” as conventional wisdom suggests.
About the author
David E. Campbell is the Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame. He has written widely on the subject of religion and politics, including Secular Surge (co-authored with Geoffrey C. Layman and John C. Green), American Grace (co-authored with Robert D. Putnam), and Seeking the Promised Land (co-authored with J. Quin Monson and John C. Green).
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Introduction Fall 2021
- Articles
- It’s Only You and Me and We Just Disagree: The Ideological Foundations of Affective Polarization
- When Rural and Urban Become “Us” versus “Them”: How a Growing Divide is Reshaping American Politics
- Tribes and Proto-Tribes: The Deep Roots of Political Differences
- The Role of Political Elites in Eliciting Mass-Level Political Anger
- The Legacy of Rush Limbaugh Will Always Be Tied to Donald Trump
- Reflections on the Past and Present of Research on Partisan Identity
- What Do We Mean by Negative Partisanship?
- Religion as Political Tribalism
- The Tribal Economy: Economic Perceptions, Economic Anxiety and the Prospects for Political Accountability
- Book Review
- Andrea Benjamin: Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections: Elite Cues and Cross-Ethnic Voting
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Introduction Fall 2021
- Articles
- It’s Only You and Me and We Just Disagree: The Ideological Foundations of Affective Polarization
- When Rural and Urban Become “Us” versus “Them”: How a Growing Divide is Reshaping American Politics
- Tribes and Proto-Tribes: The Deep Roots of Political Differences
- The Role of Political Elites in Eliciting Mass-Level Political Anger
- The Legacy of Rush Limbaugh Will Always Be Tied to Donald Trump
- Reflections on the Past and Present of Research on Partisan Identity
- What Do We Mean by Negative Partisanship?
- Religion as Political Tribalism
- The Tribal Economy: Economic Perceptions, Economic Anxiety and the Prospects for Political Accountability
- Book Review
- Andrea Benjamin: Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections: Elite Cues and Cross-Ethnic Voting
